Goosefeather's Curse/Chapter 3
Chapter description :After Goosekit announces that he knows where Swiftpaw is, several heads turn towards him. He tells them where she is; in the reeds under Sunningrocks. Larksong pricks her ears, but Hollypelt is skeptical, asking how he knows about the reeds if he has never left the camp. Goosekit says that a warrior told him he saw Swiftpaw there, Larksong asking which warrior, to which he admits he doesn't know and that he's no longer in the camp. Harepounce rolls her eyes, but Goosekit insists that he is not lying. Larksong looks at him closely before pointing out that they will need to check the whole territory, so they may as well start with Sunningrocks. She asks Mumblefoot and Hollypelt to go with her, but Hollypelt refuses, not believing that Goosekit is telling the truth, deciding to stay behind until Doestar and Pineheart come back. Mumblefoot decides to go with Larksong, thinking it would be a funny thing for a kit to come up with. With that, he and Larksong plunge into the gorse and out of the camp. :Shortly after, Doestar and Pineheart return with another patrol. The ThunderClan leader's face darkens when she hears of Swiftpaw's disappearance, and Hollypelt tells her of the cats already searching. Doestar turns to her deputy and tells him to take a patrol to the treecutplace and along the border with Twolegplace. Pineheart dips his head and summons the three closest cats to go with him. :Flashnose and Rooktail's patrol returns, tails drooping and Flashnose's eyes brimming. She murmurs that they searched all the way to Snakerocks and back but didn't find her. Doestar rests her tail on Flashnose's shoulder and tells her there are warriors all over the forest looking for her, and they will definitely find her. Suddenly, the branches crackle and Swiftpaw emerges from the gorse, covered in green slime. Flashnose screeches her daughter's name, flinging herself on Swiftpaw. Larksong appears behind her, reporting that she was well and truly stuck, Mumblefoot and her having thought they'd never get her out. Swiftpaw whimpers that she hurt her leg, as she was chasing a frog, but got stuck. Flashnose purrs that she is safe now, raising her head and thanking Larksong and Mumblefoot. Larksong curls her tail over her back, telling her she should be thanking Goosekit, as he was the one that told them where Swiftpaw went, Flashnose tipping her head, wondering how he would know and why he didn't tell them immediately. Goosekit mews that a dark brown tom told him, Rooktail asking if he's sure it wasn't Squirrelwhisker. Goosekit shakes his head and tells him he knows the different between a tom and a she-cat. Pineheart stands over him, telling him there are no other dark brown warriors in ThunderClan, demanding to know why told him about Swiftpaw's location. Goosekit looks around, wishing the amber-eyed warrior would come back, and tells Rooktail that he doesn't know his name. :Daisytoe leaves Flashnose cleaning Swiftpaw. She meows to her son that he needs to tell the truth, asking if he's been out of the camp alone. Goosekit yowls that he hasn't, and that he is telling the truth. Cloudberry pads over, saying she doesn't think they need to make a fuss about it, and all that matters is that Swiftpaw is back. She tells Daisytoe to help Flashnose clean up Swiftpaw while she talks to Goosekit. Doestar asks if something is wrong, Cloudberry admitting that she doesn't know, before she asks Goosekit what the cat looked like, Goosekit making sure that she won't be angry. Cloudberry shakes her head, and Goosekit tells her what the cat looked like. Doestar stares at Cloudberry, murmuring that he must be mistaken, the older cast shrugging and saying you'd think so. Doestar asks if it is a sign, but Cloudberry simply twitches her tail and says she'll talk to him. Doestar nods and walks away to join the others. :Cloudberry asks Goosekit if anyone has ever described the cat that told him where Swiftpaw was to him, the kit shaking his head. She asks if he told him his name, Goosekit shouting no, starting to feel frustrated. Cloudberry gazes around the clearing, asking if there are any cats whose names he doesn't know. Goosekit shrugs, worried that he may get into trouble for not knowing what all of his Clanmates names are. Cloudberry urges him gently, telling him it's okay if he doesn't know. After this, Goosekit points out several cats whose names he does not know, including a cat beside Nettlebreeze he's never seen before. Cloudberry tenses and asks him to tell her about this cat, and he wonders briefly if Cloudberry is losing her sight as he describes the pale orange she-cat beside the elder, adding that it's like she's watching Nettlebreeze like he's a kit. Cloudberry nudges Goosekit over and asks Nettlebreeze about the she-cat, and he tells him that that's his mother, Dawnfeather. He asks if she had contacted Cloudberry from StarClan, which confuses Goosekit, as to him, she is right beside him. :Cloudberry steers Goosekit towards her den, allowing him to speak. He asks her why Nettlebreeze couldn't see Dawnfeather, and the medicine cat tells him that Dawnfeather is dead. She tells Goosekit that the tom that told him where Swiftpaw was Beetail who was formerly Oakstar's deputy. Cloudberry tells him that he has a very special gift, but he must keep it to himself, as not all cats will appreciate it. Goosekit tilts his head, saying some cats might like to know that their ancestors are in the camp. Cloudberry tells him that it doesn't work like that, as warriors are raised to be suspicious of anything outside the warrior code, and outside their own boundaries. Goosekit remembers what his mother told him about Cloudberry; how she had formerly been of RiverClan, before she joined ThunderClan after Ravenwing's death. :Cloudberry begins pacing and says that Goosekit will have to become her apprentice, making Goosekit gulp as that is not the path he wants to take. She goes on to say that she hopes StarClan will guide her in training him to use his gift, before asking Goosekit if he would like to become a medicine cat. Characters Major *Cloudberry }} Minor *Hollypelt *Mumblefoot *Harepounce *Doestar *Pineheart *Flashnose *Rooktail *Swiftpaw *Nettlebreeze }} Mentioned *Squirrelwhisker *Unnamed black-and-white apprentice *Unnamed brown elder *Dawnfeather *Oakstar *Ravenwing }} Notes and references Category:Goosefeather's Curse Category:Chapter subpages Category:Novellas